Mal watched as Simon set him up beside Jo. She was still unconscious but Simon had cleaned and sewn up her shoulder. She was on an IV drip and in the other arm; he was hooking up the transfusion between her and Mal.

"I never should have agreed." Mal said as he stared at Jo. She was so white and still…if anything happened to her, he shook his head and swallowed trying just to breathe. When he opened his eyes, he saw Simon staring at him.

"Shah muh?"

"You care about her…" Simon said quietly suddenly seeing a very different angle of the man sitting across from him.

Mal swallowed again and looked back down at Jo. "You have…no idea." Mal answered quietly.

Simon nodded and went about finishing what he was doing. He gave one last check to the line that hung between them and sighed. "You got her to me in time, this..." He said pointing to the transfusion line, "…should help her fight back harder." Mal nodded but didn't say anything. Simon took the hint and asked, "Would you like some time alone with her?" He watched Mal nod, "Alright, I'll be outside if you need me." He said and left.

Mal heard the door slide closed behind Simon and let out a slow breath. He watched her chest rise and fall and then reaching out his free hand took hers in his and ran a thumb across her fingers. "You always did have such soft skin…I remember thinkin' you always looked like a china doll." A soft smile tugged at his mouth as he shook his head then gritted his teeth, "Why now Jo…after I've worked so hard at forgetin'." He swallowed hard and closed his eyes; he could still see her there and opened them again. He could feel the eyes of some of the crew watching him through the windows and sat quiet then letting his mind wander. "Never should have said yes…" He said quietly letting his thumb slide back and forth over her fingers.

A half an hour later Simon returned and began to check Jo's vital signs. He unhooked the transfusion line and cleaned up Mal's arm. "You should get something to eat and up your energy levels." Simon told him working quietly around him.

"Not hungry." Mal answered.

"Tough Cap'n cause you gotta keep your strength up." Kaylee said entering the room. She handed him a plate and a glass, "Eat." She said with a smile and disappeared. Mal sighed and drank what she'd given him and then ate what was on the plate. He couldn't have said what it was. He yawned then and gave a shake to his head. Simon saw it and pulling down the extra med bunk tossed a pillow and a blanket down on top of it, "Look…I know you won't ever admit it but you are indeed human. Get some sleep, call me if she wakes up, I'm gonna go get some dinner of my own."

"Is she gonna be ok?" Mal asked before Simon left the room.

"Yes…her vitals are good and strong and I think from the little I've gotten to know her, she's very much like you…she's a fighter." With that, he left. Mal sighed and gave in by climbing onto the extra bunk. Sleep claimed him soon afterward.

Kaylee and Zoe had eaten with Jayne and River. They where all still sitting at the table when Simon came in. Kaylee made him sit and gave him an already prepared plate. He ate as he listened to Jayne reconstruct once again what had happened on New Melbourne. "I checked the bags, money's real and from what Jo's said, it's all there. If the swap was legit and all, why the shootin? That fella was really gonna walk away."

Zoe sighed, "I think the Captain may have come to the same conclusion I have, "Badger…I'll bet if we ask Jordona, she'll confirm beside anyone on this ship and now anyone at that meeting that he was the only other person who knew where and when the sale was going to happen. If he could manage to get rid of them, and us he could have the money and the stone and no one would have been the wiser. The only thing is…he didn't count on Jo getting away."

The table was silent. Kaylee finally looked at Simon, "Is she gonna be ok?"

"Yes, I'm pretty certain the Captain got her to me in good time. With Mal's donation of blood, she should be strong enough to fight back. Time will tell now, I'll know more when she wakes up and then I can start her on antibiotics."

River spoke up, "He loves her, and she loves him…but they won't admit it, makes no sense." With that she got up and headed back to the bridge.

Jo woke slowly, she could tell by the smell and the lights that she was in Serenity's Med Bay. She took in a deep breathe and opened her eyes slowly. It was so quiet. She looked around and spotted Mal asleep across from her. She took in the planes of his face and the length of him, so tall, always so tall. She smiled softly seeing the man of old in the sleep of the man across from her, but she knew it would disappear under the wall again when sleep departed. She hated to break the veil but she wanted to hear his voice, know he was ok…"Mal?" She called to him.

"Mal?"

He heard his name and opened his eyes with a yawn. Gazes locked and she smiled at him, "Hi…" She said softly, "Have I been much trouble?"

He smiled at her then, it lit up his face as he sat up and pushed aside the blanket, "A lot…" He heard her laugh softly and made his way to the Comm unit on the wall, "Simon, Jo's awake. Come to Med Bay on the double."

He crossed back to Jo and took her hand in his, "You in any pain?" He watched her try to move her shoulder and grimace. "Yeah, that hurts a bit." She said easing back into position. "You've been here the whole time haven't you? You never left me alone." Ot was statement more the question.

He nodded, just then the doors slid open and Simon, Kaylee and Zoe came in.

"Well, look who's awake…" Zoe said with a smile at Jo.

"Yeah, sorry about this." Jo said as Simon undressed her shoulder and took a look then started to take her temperature and vitals. "No trouble at all…"Simon said with a smile, this is minor to what this crew normally sees." When he was done he looked at Mal with a smile, "See…a fighter." Jo looked between them with a questioning stare but didn't say anything.

Kaylee moved up beside Jo then, "Jayne checked the bags, the money's all there."

Mal saw Jo's face then, "What? What is it?"

"The stone…it got left and that man…" Her voice trailed off and he saw a tear slide slowly down one cheek. He brushed it away with a thumb and said softly, "Your alive bao bay, that's all that matters."

She nodded but didn't say anything else.

"Sir…I was thinking about who might profit most from Jo's demise and ours." Zoe didn't have to continue, he said what she expected, surprisingly, so did Jo at the same time.

"Badger…" Mal and Jo stared at each other a moment in silence before Mal nodded, "Yeah, makes sense. Tell River to head us back to Persephone, I think we have some things to talk to Badger about."